Our channel to channel trip included a few pretty long days of walking. One way of making a long walk more pleasant is to do some training. We didn’t do that. Instead, we opted for Option B: carry less stuff.

All our gear for 4.5 days.

Shoulder bag and camera: small load!

Pack lighter, go further

That’s the mantra of many ultralight hikers. The idea is that the less weight you carry, the easier it is to walk long distances. You’re less tired, less weighed down, less likely to injure yourself. And after this walk I’m inclined to agree (though having the money to convert to ultralight gear, or the desire to sleep in a half sleeping bag is another matter!). Although we could have done the long days with big packs, I think we would have been even more exhausted and much, much achier.

Our biggest weight saving came from staying in B&Bs every night. I figured that, with the exception of a few things, we only needed to pack what we’d usually take on a day walk. We didn’t need to bring any sleeping gear or shelter and most B&Bs provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and tea bags (though we packed some Earl Grey teabags, in case any B&Bs only had plain tea!). Because it was only four and a half days of walking, we embraced the stink and didn’t carry any extra clothes. We checked the weather and left our jumpers behind, deciding a t-shirt/shirt/raincoat combo would be warm enough. We also left our PJs out . . . rude! We relied on eating out or not being hungry most nights, so we usually only had to buy and carry snacks and lunch a day at a time. As we knew we’d be passing quite a few pubs and villages, there was no need for the trowel, toilet paper or much first aid. I figured the batteries on my camera and the dictaphone would last, so didn’t pack chargers or spares. In the end, we could easily fit all of our gear into one day pack (Dan) and one shoulder bag (Jonathan).

When it rained, I had to tie a knot in my shoulder strap to hitch my bag up under my coat. It worked OK.

Thoughts on our gear

What didn’t we use? We didn’t use the water treatment drops. Although there was one day when we came close, in the end we just asked at a farmhouse to fill our bottles and they obliged - which actually made for a much more interesting experience. I didn’t really use my thermal top, though Dan wore his t-shirt. Because we had the voice recorder, I didn’t write very much in my little journal. We had a couple of teabags left at the end, too.

What did we appreciate most? Probably our biggest luxury was our daily thermos of tea. It’s not light, and the tea paraphernalia can get a bit bulky. However, a nice cuppa can make all the difference in a long day of walking - it can really pull you (read: me) out of a mid-afternoon slump. I also want to give big props to my shoulder bag - it’s a Stuffit Pram Bag, which a former boss of mine bought for me at a trade show. I love the wide shoulder strap, which spreads the load over my shoulder so that it never digs in.

What did we miss? I missed having a second, less stinky top - Dan wore his t-shirt to dinner in Honiton and when we socialised with our hosts after having showers. My thermal t-shirt doesn’t really work for that. Maybe next time I’d take a normal t-shirt or a short-sleeved shirt instead. Dan says he would’ve liked a set of undies and socks “just for evening wear”. How posh!

What did we not take and not miss? Jumper, thermal leggings, walking poles, waterproof trousers - pretty much anything not on the packing list and not mentioned above.

Rest stop! Once again, OS maps proved to be good makeshift groundsheets.

I swapped shoulders every hour or two.

Route map

Because no trip report is truly complete unless there’s a map! We started the walk at Budleigh Salterton, near Exmouth. We mostly followed the River Otter to its source in the Blackdown Hills. We dropped down into the Vale of Taunton Deane, then headed up onto the Quantocks for the majority of the last day. Finally, we more or less followed the Doniford Stream to Watchet.

An overview of our walk. The red circles indicate where we stayed overnight.

Zooming out to give those less familiar with UK geography a better idea of where we walked.

In terms of transport, we drove to Taunton and parked in the station car park. We took the train to Exmouth (I loved the section where the train line is so close to the edge of the River Exe that it seems to be travelling over the water) and a bus to Budleigh. At the other end, we took the bus from Watchet back to Taunton. This set-up worked well for us (apart from the terrible service from Buses of Somerset on the Watchet-Taunton leg). Thanks to Dan for organising transport! It was a simple thing to hop in the car back at Taunton and then head off to Wales.

Year of Sleeping Variously: B&B edition

Oh yeah! We're back on with this thing! So, over the course of our holiday, which included this walk, the canoeing trip, a day in Monmouth, a night in Malvern, a weekend in Birmingham and a few days in London, we slept at: 4 B&Bs (including one booked on Airbnb), 2 Airbnbs (the proper kind in a house), 2 campsites, 1 friend's house and Dan's folks' place. So there is plenty to choose from. For no particular reason, I'm reviewing Eastcote House in Honiton.

Comfy bed - just what you need after a long day of walking.

Bed (4/5) - Comfy. Nicer than it looks on the website or even in my picture.

Value (3/5) - Good value, especially considering the vast space we had to spread out in. I almost wished we were staying longer to take full advantage of it!

Uniqueness (2/5) - It's a pretty place with a lovely garden, but it's not terribly unique.

That indefinable something (2/5) - There was fruit and chocolate provided in our private sitting room along with the usual tea and biscuits. Not really related to the place, but we had a good dinner out with a friend in Honiton (which was an unexpected surprise).

Yeah, those big, plastic coated OS maps are great - but they are pretty heavy! We've used them as groundsheets under our tarp a few times and so long as you're careful with them, they're no worse for wear afterwards. Especially if you're on grass, you just brush any dirt/mud off, fold it up and away you go. (And yes! Tea!)

I'm hoping to do a multi day hike next year and am definitely thinking the B&B route will mean I can limit what's in my pack - no sleeping kit, towels or wash kit will make a big difference vs camping or hostelling. We've done the B&B thing when road tripping on our motorbikes and it makes things very simple. And I LOVE that you packed Earl Grey teabags - having a little luxury is an excellent way to keep a smile on your face :)

Hi Zoe, great! Where are you planning to walk? There are some fantastic waymarked long distance paths in the UK, but also plenty of options if you want to go your own way. I wish you many happy hours of planning (over cups of tea, naturally)!